


Can’t you see we got a good thing here

by type_here



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Nothing to do with canon though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 10:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17201492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/type_here/pseuds/type_here
Summary: Caleb is new in town and decided to get this little book shop.





	Can’t you see we got a good thing here

**Author's Note:**

> The title is lyrics from the band Charming Disaster - Ghost Story   
> Thank you so very much @crunchywrites for your beta help. It’s really appreciated. :D  
> For Lunaloo for the Widowmauk Discord Secret SantExchange.

Caleb looked at the small apartment. It was filled with boxes upon boxes containing mostly books. Each box was set in their room and all there was left to do was unpacking. It pleased Caleb that the hardest part of the work was already done and it was only two in the afternoon! Even his supplies for the bookshop downstairs were there and ready to unpack as well.

Caleb sat down on the floor. A breeze blew through the room, sending a chill down his back. A door clanged. "Nott?" The only reply was silence. He shrugged. The place was old; surely it was just a draft coming from a window. He made a mental note to check that out.

He went downstairs, looking at the bookshelves and boxes of books that would soon become his little shop. The town was quaint and the need to settle down somewhere was strong. It was just his luck that the shop and the house were a package deal. There were stories about ghosts and some violent death here, but Caleb chalked that up to townsfolk's need to gossip. Even considering that, it was too nice a place to pass up. He could already picture the whole thing. The tiny tea shop corner with little tables by the big windows, bookshelves upon bookshelves of tomes old and new and the faint smell of vanilla wafting from the pages. Couches and tiny alcoves where you could sit down and where one good book could drag you in an entirely new universe. It had taken many a sacrifice to get there, but here he was finally unpacking the first box of this little project of his.

It took the better part of the week to settle things in the shop while Nott was taking care of the boxes in the apartment upstairs. There they were, though; tomorrow would be the grand opening day and people were peeking at the window all week long. It was encouraging. 

Nott was rustling through papers, job offers and resumes and things like that. As much as she cared about Caleb, she didn't think the little bookstore job was fitting for her so she was trying to find some other work that would suit her better. She took a slice of pizza out of the box that was on the coffee table and took a large bite out of it. "Say, Caleb, have you felt weird since we moved in?"    
  


***   
  


It was a sunny fall day - the second day the Babbling Book Bookshop was open. The front doorbell rang ten minutes after Caleb unlocked the entrance, which was surprising considering the place has yet to be known in the neighbourhood.  Caleb looked around, everything was at its right place.

" _ Hallo _ !" 

There was…  A very tall character stood in the doorframe.  Taller than most people Caleb knew. They wore a white flowy shirt and green pants.  They were haloed by the outdoor light just behind them. Caleb was just stunned for a moment before letting them in.

"Hello. I saw there was a "Help Wanted" sign in your window?" 

Caleb stared at the tall firbolg with pink hair and a soft expression that just had to lean a bit to go through the entrance door.

The newcomer chuckled. “You're new right? I never saw you before."

Caleb shook his head. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to but  _ ja, ja _ . On both accounts.”

"Well, welcome to Ulrith Town Mr... ?"

"Caleb,” Caleb replied quickly, “Caleb Widogast." 

"Ah. Mr Caleb,” the newcomer said, smiling slowly. “That sounds nice. I'm Caduceus. Caduceus Clay. Very nice to meet you. So what kind of help were you looking for?"

"I want a tea shop corner and I want someone to take care of it. Also sometimes taking care of the whole shop from time to time when I'm not here."

"Well, you'd be in luck then. I do love a nice cup of tea."

Caleb smiled and nodded. “It goes a long way with a nice book to make a day better." 

"True. I like you already. Well, as a tryout can I see what you got and what I can do with it?" 

Caleb nodded again, showing Caduceus to the tea shop counter. There were two long shelves behind it. One was filled with coloured ceramic teapots, all shades of orange, red and yellow. There was also a collection of fine china cups and matching saucers. The second shelf held tea boxes, all the nice loose leaf kind, strainers and two brass kettles. along with a nice electric one with various settings.

"Nice thing you got there," Caduceus said, eyeing both tools and tea blends. He rummaged through the tea tins, picking up a black tea. He also picked some cocoa nibs from a small jar and some orange zest.

"You make your own blends?" asked Caleb, watching curiously as the firbolg prepared water and cups.

"When I can. I got plenty of herbs and flowers that are suitable for this in my garden. If you want I can grow the same plants in your backyard," Caduceus mentioned after setting up a cup of tea in front of Caleb. They both sat in silence at one of the tables for a moment, just enjoying the warmth and aromas of their tea as it steeped. 

“You know what? It wouldn't be a bad idea. I can turn the backyard into some small terrace space and plants definitely would be welcomed. It would be a neat thing for next summer," Caleb said, taking a sip of tea. His eyes went wide for a moment before he closed them with a satisfied smile. "If you make something like this for every customer I think we are in business, you and I. This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," Caduceus replied with a deep chuckle.

"Liking is not the word you are looking for, friend. I haven't had a cup quite like this in a long time. When can you start?"

"I can start right away."

"Oh, perfect. Or if you wish you can start tomorrow and for now we can discuss the schedule and things like that.”

"Oh no, it's fine. It can wait."

Caleb looked at the firbolg, confused. Usually, as far as he knew, the first thing anyone asked for was the pay rate and schedule thing. It didn't even seem to interest Caduceus in the slightest. He was already tinkering with teapots and kettles and seem content just doing that. 

"Well, I guess I’ll leave you to figure things out on your own? If there are any problems I’ll be at the cash register at the front."

Caduceus nodded, already lost in thought as to which blends he could create.

Over the next few months, as fall turned into winter, the little bookshop had become quite a busy place. Whether it was to warm up yourself with a nice tea or finding the perfect gift, you could always find plenty of both here, and word of mouth made the little place grow fast. It also meant there was a lot of people coming in and out.

It had been barely a month into owning the bookshop when Caleb started to notice he had regulars: a tall woman asking for books about flowers, a woman often wearing and sporting an undercut picking history books and books about current events. There was an half-orc who kept picking books with marine themes, and there was Jester.

"Caduceus and I are planning to do this peach cobbler to go with the spicy peach green tea he's working on. I also got those cookies you like to go with your chai, although if you ask me those cookies are awesome with everything, technically. I also got some strawberry danishes and some blueberry scones," Jester happily chatted at Caleb.

Jester was the owner of the bakery two doors down who decided she would happily supply the bookstore with fresh from the oven pastries. She was nice and Caleb liked her a lot. She would usually pick artbooks after dropping her daily batch and chatting with Caleb.

Nott would come downstairs from time to time to peruse the box of comic books. Usually, she would pick fairly common issues cropping up in the lot to do a collage with them.

And then there was this particular customer. For about a month and a half, he always came at the same time, picked a mug of tea but never picked a book, when Caleb started paying attention to him in earnest.

The tiefling leaning over the counter was a bright lavender. His clothes shimmered in various shades of blues and silvery whites, sparkling with sequins and the shine of dyed leather. Too many jewels adorned his horns, neck, and fingers. For lack of a better word, he was loud in every possible sense of the word.  He looked pretty much like some glam rock figure from the seventies. 

It wasn't a bad look on him. 

Caleb glared at him, not in a judgemental way so much as more like overwhelmed by the creature before him. "How can I help you today?" At least the small talk that was the base of customer service, he knew by rote and could easily do.

"Well, you can always try. I… I was just passing by, to be honest, and I decided maybe I would snoop around because the place seemed interesting enough. You're new to the neighbourhood, right?" 

"Well,  _ ja _ . I opened two months ago. So I guess in the big schemes of thing you can consider I'm still pretty new to the neighbourhood, as you say," Caleb replied, wondering where the tiefling was going with the banter.

"Ah, well that's nice. I've been around for quite a while now. It's always great to see new faces even though those faces do look like they need a bit more entertainment than dusty old books in their life," They said with the most charming smile on his face.

"I'm fine with my old dusty tomes, thank you." Caleb replied tersely.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend. I just meant I don't know? Perhaps I can treat you to a nice cup of tea? Name’s Mollymauk, by the way.  Molly to my friends."

"I'm not drinking my own supplies." Caleb seemed a bit offended by the idea.

"Even if I paid for your cup and mine?" 

The bell at the door rang again and Caleb looked away from the tiefling. A large looming figure appeared in the doorframe, leaning a bit to cross the threshold. "Oh, there you are, Mr.Clay."

"Morning Mr.Caleb. How was your day off yesterday?" 

"It was nice, thank you." Caleb turned over to face the purple tiefling, but he was already gone. He shrugged. They probably went to peruse some book.

  
***

  
Time was strange in a bookshop. Mornings were always busy with new orders to shelve and Jester popping by, that was a constant. Afternoons, however, were a different thing - sometimes they were as busy as can be with customers, and at others as quiet as a church. Caleb cherished both times if he was honest with himself.

Now was a quiet time, the only customer around being Beau.

"Hello, Beauregard. Looking for anything? I got a new shipment this morning. I think there are some fighting manuals that might interest you." 

"Holy fuck Widogast! Don't startle me like that again, I'm gonna punch you on reflex." Beau replied in a huff and making an annoyed face.

Caleb looked over her shoulder. "It's not your usual fare, Beauregard," he pointed out, picking the book on flowers Beau was holding out of her hands.

"It’s not- Well, it's a gift." Beau looked a bit bashful at that.

Caleb put the book back on the shelf and grabbed another one. "She already has the one you picked. This, however, was something she was looking for and it only came in yesterday. The engravings printed in it are quite lovely too. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." 

Beau carefully picked the book out of Caleb's hands. "How did you know?"

"People develop habits and habits are easy to spot," Caleb replied with a shrug.

“Hmm... True. And yet you don't see what's right under your nose."

Caleb gave a look to Beau. "What do you mean by that?" 

Beau just shrugged, a smirk on her lips. "Just... You notice this pattern about me, you notice patterns about your regular customers here, but not the pattern that related to you. What gives?" 

***

Caduceus Clay was a very perceptive man. He looked at Molly, intently. "You are not a normal tiefling..."

Molly’s eyes grew wide. "How would you know?"

Caduceus looked at his mug of tea then back at Molly with a small smile on his face. "Well, call it a hunch."

Molly looked incredulously at Caduceus. "You're pulling my leg. We've been sharing tea for a while and if I were anything else but what I am I wouldn't be able to enjoy it." 

"You are not undead. Yet you are not alive either. I think you're caught between planes, aren't you? I could help you move on if you wanted to." 

Molly's shape flickered for a second under the heavy emotions he suddenly felt. He didn't like that this person could see right through him. "I don't have memories and yeah, I guess I kinda haunt this place, don't I? But I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just want a place to call home again."  He felt like he had been just stripped bare and he didn't like this feeling at all. 

"Home and family are precious things to have. I sure hope you find yours again soon."

Molly nodded, contemplating his mug for a moment before flickering out  There was no point keeping appearances if there was nobody else around.

Caduceus startled a bit before he eyed the clock. It was around the time Nott would be back from whatever she was during the day. So, he started to prepare her favourite tea. As if on cue, the goblin woman climbed on a stool by the teashop register.

“Hello, Caddy!" 

"Hello," he replied, offering Nott her cup of tea.

"So, what do you think of this place so far? 

"It has been good to me," Caduceus replied, sipping at his own mug.

Nott peeked at the firbolg. She harrumphed but kept silent. just holding her mug with both hands and letting it warm her up. "Something seems to bother you," she just said after a moment.

"Ah... It's nothing much really." 

Nott wasn't convinced. “Is it the purple guy? Is he bothering you?" 

Caduceus’ eyes went wide. Nott made a small "ah!" of triumph. The firbolg shook his head. "Ah... It's hard to describe. He doesn't bother me per see, not in a way a rude customer does ... But there's something in his nature..." 

"His nature? I mean, sure, he's loud and obnoxious, but-"

"It's not what I meant. You haven't noticed, have you? You haven't noticed that he's a ghost?" 

Nott's eyes went wide. "I knew it! You're right, there IS something weird! And we had books upstairs that kept- Damn, we thought it was the cat!"

"He’s been upstairs?" Caduceus asked with a curious expression.

"I think so. It would explain the cold too. Caleb has been complaining about being cold even if the room is super warm. But… there's something I don't understand."

"What is it?" 

"How come we can touch him here?" 

Caduceus shrugged at this. He had a hunch about this but he wasn't sure enough about to tell Nott.

Nott frowned. At least she seemed satisfied by the answers she got. She wandered off after thanking Caduceus for another great cup of tea.

It was a couple of days later when Molly was enjoying a nice cup of tea, trying to discreetly stare at Caleb from his place. He was so lost in thought that he never noticed Nott climb on the table next to him and crouch so she could be at his eye level. 

She poked his shoulder to get his attention and he yelled seeing those lamp yellow eyes staring so intently and so close to him. "Oh hey, Nott. you scared me there." Molly had to appreciate the certain irony it took for a ghost to be scared.

It wasn't lost on Nott who looked at Molly, incredulous. She then started to laugh. "Great, just what I wanted. I see you making eyes at Caleb, right?" she added.

"Am I really that obvious?"

"Well, not to the casual observer, no. I’m not a casual observer, though."

Molly sighed. “I take you to know him better than I do then. What can I do to… you know… First time I tried to talk to him it didn't go really well. I think I rubbed him the wrong way.”

"Well, you're not wrong on that. He does find you loud and a bit obnoxious. But, well…  It's just that he has been hurt before. I’m sure you're not doing that bad with him, He's a bit like a stray cat like that."

Molly huffed, thoughtful for a moment. "Good thing to know. Thanks."

Nott still stared at Molly for a moment and satisfied with what she saw she climbed down the table and sneaked toward a grumpy customer. She came back with a bunch of shiny buttons moments later, much to Molly's amusement. She brought the hoard to her room upstairs and Molly followed.

He was glad that Nott and Caleb were the new tenants of this place. They were much nicer than the previous ones. It was a small miracle that the place hadn't been more trashed before those two came in. Caddy was really nice too. He wondered how long this would last. Things like that never really last. Molly floated dejectedly in Nott's room. All of his colours were faded to a pale desaturated version of what they usually would be around Caleb downstairs. The goblin woman looked at him expectantly. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" she asked in her usual ways.

"I don't understand, Nott. I can't believe he hadn't noticed yet. I mean, not only the caring thing but the ghost thing as well... You noticed. Cad noticed. I heard both of you talking about it. I wasn't visible but I heard it. I hear everything in the whole place. So why he hasn't noticed yet? Does he see me as actually living? I… I mean I guess I manifested to you in a different way than I did for him and Caddy is just that perceptive and doesn't like my nature all that much but… It doesn't really make sense."

Nott shook her head. "It makes perfect sense. How do you feel about Caleb?"

"Why?" 

"How do you feel about Caleb?" 

Molly floated around in a circle as if he was pacing the room. He stopped and his form flickered for a split second. " Well, here's the thing... I know I shouldn't have let myself do this but... Yeah, I did fall in love with him? He's brilliant and gorgeous and just... Nott, he's amazing, you know that."

"Yes, I do. Okay, you say that your powers are stronger downstairs right? Because you're..?"

"I'm closer to the source of what holds me here, what happened to me. Oh. You think that between what I feel for Caleb and what keeps me here, it's what that makes me more real to Caleb?" 

Nott nodded.

"Nott. I can't let that happen. I... I'm gonna break Caleb's heart. I don't know much of anything about this form and..." He sighed, frowning and just being anxious over the whole thing. "I can't promise anything if I'm to stay this way..."

"Well, it's up to you honestly. If anything, there are monks who can punch ghosts two blocks down the road and I'm totally willing to go and learn how they do that just to fight you if you hurt my boy."

Molly made a face. "That was the most reassuring thing ever, Nott."

She shrugged. "I just don't want him to get hurt. I can see he means a lot to you but he also means a lot to me."

Molly nodded and faded away back downstairs. There was a half-finished teapot of his favourite blend left to drink after all. He sat back down at his usual table, where the teapot was still standing with his half-empty cup. He watched people coming and going again before Caleb caught his eyes. Again. He saw him chatting up with Beau and Yasha. Fjord came by again, looking for a book about mythology. Molly wasn’t sure from where he stood. It was a fairly quiet afternoon.

"Want another teapot?"

Molly jumped again. Apparently, it was the day for people to catch him off guard. He nodded. "Cad? Maybe you could help me?"

"Flowers for someone you really care about? A certain redhead managing the cash register? Perhaps a tea blend with it would be nice, he really likes what I come up with."

Welp. "Okay. Yes I want that, but no. I mean no you have no right to figure me out this easily. Did Nott talk to you?"

Caduceus shook his head. "I just overheard a bit of your conversation just now. Although, Caleb talks a lot about you too."

"Does he now?" Molly was half surprised and half pleased with this bit of information.

Caduceus didn't elaborate. He just filled Molly's mug and the tiefling was left thinking of the implications of all this and what it would involve in the long run. 

Molly went back upstairs once he knew for sure that Caduceus wasn't looking. It wasn't so much to talk to Nott, she was probably still busy with her button hoard. It was just… The place looked so cosy, so warm and nice, strangely not unlike Caleb when you got to know him so he thawed a little at your presence. He could see it happening with Beau and Jester for the most part and he hoped he could do the same for Caleb too.

Frumpkin, on the other hand, still hissed at him loudly and Molly rolled his eyes at the cat. Cats were not too fond of the supernatural, Molly knew as much, but he hoped that even the creature would get better once they knew each other. he wondered as he stood there if there was a way for him not to be tied to his place of death but to someone or something much smaller. Something that Caleb could wear preferably. He chuckled, shaking his head; he was getting ahead of himself.

Another handful of days passed, people coming in and out. More books to shelve and to read, more people to greet and to help. Beau poked Caleb in the shoulder: as she entered the place. "How much do you know about local history?" 

"I can't say I know much of it yet Beauregard. I have been here only for a couple of months now. Why?" 

"You know what happened here ten years ago? It used to be a tiny art and tattoo shop. the owner was a tiefling."

Caleb frowned. "Where are you going with this Beauregard? I hear the gossip like everyone else."

"It wasn't gossip," Beau replied, handing an old newspaper cutout to Caleb. "I found this in one of the books."

He took the clipping and read it. Oh. the name on the picture wasn't fitting but the face was clearly Molly. Caleb didn't know what to make of this.

And then for weeks, nothing really happened.

***

Caleb heard something clang to the ground and went to inspect the living room. Again. 

Luckily it wasn’t a thing that broke easily, just being a book. Not that he wasn't annoyed that it was a book. The books he kept in the apartment were rare things so that Frumpkin took a habit to fling them down to the floor was annoying.

He looked around for the furry culprit.

Frumpkin wasn't there.  

Caleb frowned and picked the fallen book with care. The page was open to a poem. Caleb scanned the poem quickly and turned beet red. It wasn't the same text as the couple of times it happened before but there was definitely a theme. Which meant that the culprit wasn't the fuzzy friend living in the apartment. 

Then what? Or rather, who?

Caleb had a hunch, but it didn't make sense.

He walked back downstairs to the bookshop and came in through the back door. "Molly?" He looked around the shop. The place looked rather creepy in darkness only broke by a single globule of dancing lights. He felt silly for considering that the tiefling might be there... Surely he wasn't a gho-

Oh.

Molly was sitting at one of the small tables in the teashop section. He was making a small piece of paper towel flutter between his hands and he was glowing.

Literally.

Caleb's heart thumped in his chest. Gods, between the moonlight from the window and Molly looking so ethereal...He looked on for a moment before clearing his throat.

Molly beamed at him. "So you got my message!" 

"How long have you been doing this, Mollymauk?"  There was no heat behind the words, just genuine curiosity. 

Molly shrugged at that. "A while. I thought it was cute that you thought your cat did it. I did apologize to Frumpkin for that, by the way. He's a nice cat, but it was too fun to just... Play with you a little? Gosh, I sound rather terrible right now." 

"You are terrible Mr Mollymauk." Caleb replied, voice as flat as can be but with a small smile.

"Thanks for noticing."

“I have to ask... Well, you don't have to reply if you don't want to but... How long have you been haunting the building?"

Molly shrugged, his colours dimming. "I don't know. I don’t know the when, the how, or the why. I just know that I'm stuck and sometimes I get bored out of my mind and at first you were a cute distraction but now-" Molly look at Caleb, colours flaring up for a second before he disappeared.

"Mollymauk? Mollymauk, are you still there?"  Caleb looked around. 

"Nope. I'm gone, not here." Molly sounded flustered.

Caleb heard that close to the ceiling of all the places. He shook his head.

Molly's shape crackled and sparked. He looked like his entire form was out of an old television screen with absolutely bad reception.

"Caleb..." Molly tried not to shake, tried not to feel like he was about to puke. He could sense something going on. He could feel- 

The door slammed open and Caleb made his way back to the shop's counter.  He was worried to leave Molly in such a shape but there was little else he could do for him at the moment. He looked at the person who just broke in. The man was burly and his entire posture held an air of menace. "How can I help you?" 

"You can help me by giving me the register and by coming with me nicely." 

Caleb could see Molly's body flicker in and out of this plane at an alarming rate.

Molly had recognized the voice. He remembered his past and the very last moment he was alive. The pain was spreading from his chest to his limbs and he was clutching at his chest. He looked in Caleb's direction and saw him. " _ No. _ " 

The lights of the store flickered out. as Molly tried to take a more corporeal form despite the pain. "NO!"

The man looked at the ghost an air of understanding crossing his features. He grinned in Molly and in one quick motion grabbed Caleb by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

Caleb fought and kicked. He bit and scratched as he was dragged over the counter and grappled. He stood still when a knife was flicked open and held to his throat.  He gulped and breathed hard; any offensive spell on his part could be disastrous to him or to the shop. 

"NO!  LEAVE HIM ALONE! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM, LORENZO, OR SO HELP ME!" He was clutching at his chest again, pain sending him flickering more and more. He was barely holding onto his corporeal form.

The man named Lorenzo chuckled darkly. "And what are you going to do? You wouldn't even be able to touch me.”

Caleb understood: the man, that Lorenzo person holding him up was the one who killed Mollymauk years ago. "Mollymauk, stop, please. I'll do as he says and we'll be fine. It's just... It's not like there's much mon-"

"You don't understand, he won't just take your money! Why do you think they never found me? He took me away and fucked me over! The only reason I'm here is that I loved this place and and.... Fuck Caleb I-" He pulled at his hair trying to gather his form together. 

Energy crackled and popped and flared up in a bright burst of lightning. At its centre was Molly, harnessing his powers. He screamed. It wasn't going to happen again! He burst forth toward Lorenzo, through Caleb, pushing the larger man away from him. and sending the knife he was holding clattering to the ground. He pummeled him, the energy holding him up together flaring up and up and up. Something cracked loudly and Lorenzo, who was still struggling mere second before, went still. 

Molly stood up, looking at Caleb who was very still and... "Caleb. You're hurt."

Caleb touched his neck, at the junction where his shoulder was. His fingers came back red. "I am." He was feeling like he was walking through thick wool. Shock, he presumed. He pulled out his phone and as calmly as he could punch a couple of numbers before adrenaline and shock wore off and sent him sprawling to the ground.

"No, no, no, no, no... Caleb."  Molly could only look, his form flickering in and out of existence from all the energy he spent. "Caleb, no."  He tried to pick Caleb's phone, call emergencies, do something, but his hand went right through. "Oh, no..." 

He heard a tinned voice at the other end of the line, asking for a name, an address, the nature of the emergency.

He knew that if he was to say something in the state he was in it would only translate to static noise at the other end. He had to calm down, had to take a breath, had to concentrate his form again, be solid enough to help. He tried, he tried and he couldn't do it.

The only thing he could do is make more noise and hope someone would hear it.

It was a neighbour who came in, wondering what was going on.

Molly disappeared, exhausted and distraught. He hoped so hard it would be enough. He could see his form flicker under the emotions.  It wasn't good, he spent too much of his energy. He could hear the sirens of an ambulance in the distance.

It was enough.

It was three days after the incident when Nott came to visit Caleb at the hospital.

"You were really lucky someone else heard noises."

Caleb nodded, still in a hospital room and still connected to some tubes. "What about Mollymauk, have you seen him around? He was... It wasn't good for him either."

"I didn't. It's really weird. He didn't come upstairs to bother me in days… Well, since… You know. Mr Clay didn't feel him in the bookshop either. I don't know what's happening, Do you think he's okay?"

"I don't know. I hope so. But I feel like- No no, he's probably just hiding. You would too in his place." 

Nott nodded. " He told me it was… Well… " She drew in a breath. "They are releasing you in two days, right?" 

"Yeah. They are. I might need you around more than usual, Nott, if you don't mind." 

"Of course I don't, Caleb. You're family. Just rest for now, okay?  And call me once you know at what time you leave. I'll come to pick you up."

The two days seem to go like molasse and at the same time was too fast. There was some trepidation about going back. He has been told it would be totally normal that he shouldn't force it but at the same time, he missed the bookshop and the people within.

The trepidation only grew stronger as Nott indeed came to pick him up. It was decided he would stay at Caduceus' place for the night. It wasn't the best idea to force things as he had to cross the store to go to his own place.

The shop was exactly as it was on any regular day, with the same amount of people milling about when he came in the day after. It was weird and frightening, to be honest, to walk near this place after everything that had happened but it was home and Caleb didn't want to give up on his home. So he took a breath, walked up to the door and stepped in.

Only to almost be bowled over by the very physical presence of one Mollymauk Tealeaf. Molly was a mess in Caleb's arms. "You're okay."  He hid his face in the crook of Caleb’s neck, on the side that wasn’t injured. He felt such relief that things were okay, that Caleb was back.  Nott had told him Caleb would be fine but it wasn’t the same thing as holding him in his arms, whole and alive. He tried not to sniffle too much and failed miserably.  Still, he grins and gave a watery chuckle. Caleb was back!    
  
"I am, I'm back. You're okay too. You look exhausted… For a moment I thought you would flicker out of existence. I hoped so hard it wasn't the case. I- Thanks."

"Thanks for what? You could have died there and there wasn't-"

"You gave me time."

Molly looked at him weirdly.  "Well... Okay. I- I did blink out of existence though. I was too stubborn so they sent me back. "

"Is that so?" 

"Yeah, it is. Although... It's not a bad thing. I was- " Molly sighed. " I was distraught sure but all of this, I fought my past and I won. And you're there, and I'm not tethered to anything anymore. I can decide where to go. "

Caleb looked down for a moment before smiling at Molly. "That's great." he said softly.

"Caleb, it means I can decide to be with you. Still not technically alive but, I’m not mostly bound to the bookstore floor anymore. I can go upstairs and bother you in the flesh. Sort of. I don't have to recharge quite as much. I can go outside and be solid enough to help you carry the goddamn groceries or more books and everything! I just need one thing and I talked about it with Cad. He got something. He found it, I don't know how, but he says he thinks it belonged to me. I think it was in the backyard? Anyways. He said it was vibrating with the same energy as me. I want you to have it. So I can come back to it and to you, always. For some reason I can't hold it and give it to you myself but... " 

Caleb held Molly tighter and Molly grinned. "Is he there? Can we get it?" 

"Yeah, he is." 

Caleb literally bounced around to the tea shop corner. Molly had to chuckle; he never saw Caleb do that before, it was rather cute. "Apparently you got something for me, Mr. Clay?" Caleb mentioned as soon as he reached the counter.

Caduceus smiled. "I do!"  He took a small box from under the counter. He offered it to Caleb. "We found this in the garden at the back, near the big tree. It took some work to get but Molly was quite insistent you get it."

"It's a family heirloom. I don't remember much of who got it before me but yeah. Apparently it's supposed to offer protection. I don't think it worked all that much for me but I hope it will be better for you." Molly mentioned.

Caleb opened the box carefully. There lay a necklace, the chain a tarnished gold but still whole. The pendant was two hands holding a heart, "You're giving me your heart, Mr. Mollymauk?"

Molly chuckled and looked sideways, his skin turning a deeper shade of purple. He nodded softly.

Caleb smiled as softly as he settled the necklace into place. "Then I will take care of it with the utmost care." He held the pendant with one hand.

Molly grinned and kissed Caleb on the forehead. "You are wonderful, you know that?" He then disappeared. The heart shaped stone of the necklace glowed softly. 

Caleb looked at the necklace, at how warm it suddenly had gotten. "He's in there?" It was such a weird thing to think about but clearly, he had seen weirder as of late.

Caduceus nodded. There was a moment of silence.

"Do you mind opening the store for me? I think I might take part of the day off."

The firbolg was surprised that Caleb didn't even want to take the whole day off. After everything that happened since the store opened, Caleb totally deserved two weeks vacation, at least. He shrugged, satisfied that at least Caleb was taking some time for himself now. He made a mental note to prepare something for him before he came back down.

Caleb walked back to his apartment, the warmth of the necklace against his chest strange but not unwelcome. He sat on the couch in the living room, still wondering how he ended up so lucky. Sure the place was haunted, but who would mind such a lovely ghost? Talking of which, Molly flashed back out of the pendant and looked around. It was strange but amazing to see him so solid in this space while before he could only be some, well for lack of better word, ghost of himself. Molly plopped himself on the couch and looked at Caleb with a fond smile on his face. Frumpkin still growled at him like the little fuzzy menace that he was. At least Molly could pet the cat more easily now.

"Hey, hey, there's a thing I can do here now Caleb." The smile turned into a grin.

"Oh? And what is that Mr Mollymauk?" Caleb knew exactly where this was going.

"I can kiss you. Can I kiss you?" 

Caleb laughed. To Molly, there was no better sound than this. "Of course you can, Molly."

The use of the nickname sent a shiver down the tiefling spine. He just leaned in for a kiss. Caleb was surprised; it wasn't cold like first few ones had been. Molly wasn't cold as he usually was. The tiefling melted down in the kiss, just happy to be able to inhabit this space with the person he loved. "I really could get used to that, you know?"

"Well good thing you can have it now,  _ Liebling _ ." Just leaning against each other after such a sweet kiss was nice.

"Caleb?" 

"Yes?" 

Molly didn't reply. He just looked at Caleb with feelings bigger than himself filling up his chest. He just kissed Caleb again and settled back done.

Yep, he totally could get used to that.   
  
  



End file.
